Craeft, an Inquiry into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts, by Alexander Langlands. I read a review, it sounded interesting so I put a request in at my local library. Thought it would turn up as an interlibrary loan. Instead they bought it.

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Langlands is an archaeologist who mostly studied 15th century and early. But from 2003 to 2013 he was involved with the BBC television series Tales from the Green Valley, Victorian Farm, Edwardian Farm and Wartime Farm. Becoming fascinated with the techniques and the record they leave, he continued studying these craefts. He learned to use a scythe, thatch, lay hedges, and more. He writes about the importance of tanning leather and draft horses, dry walls, weaving with its warp and weft, all sorts of craeft.

Interesting book, even more so once I got into it and became accustomed to his academic discursions - Alfred the Great, Boethius, William Morris. No pictures. No index, alas.

Perhaps you all know of this book already but I haven't seen any mention of it. Would be a shame if it was to be overlooked. Read, and enjoy.

Sounds interesting. I watched all of those on TV and have the books from some of them. I even entered into an e-mail discussion with Ruth Goodman on soap making as a result of one. The book sounds interesting and also suggests why they got some things slightly wrong if the 'authority' was learning mainly from books. I might try to get hold of that; our library may be able to get hold of it for me.